Families are enduring an agonising wait for news of loved ones missing after a devastating fire at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. The blaze, which tore through the Le Constellation bar, killed around 40 people and injured 119, with many of the victims believed to be young people celebrating New Year's Eve.
Among the missing are four from a group of 15 young Italians who had travelled from Milan to the resort. Two of the group, Marco, 20, and Gabriele, 18, narrowly avoided the tragedy after deciding at the last minute not to join their friends at the bar. 'Sometimes that is how destiny plays out,' Gabriele said. 'It is devastating.'
Swiss prosecutors said the fire appeared to have been started by sparklers placed in champagne bottles that were moved too close to the ceiling. 'From that a blaze began very quickly,' said Beatrice Pilloud, the attorney general for Valais canton. The investigation is examining whether acoustic foam on the ceiling complied with regulations and contributed to the spread of the fire.
Of the 119 injured, 113 have been formally identified, including 71 Swiss, 14 French, 11 Italians, four Serbs, and others from Bosnia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal. Officials warned that identifying the dead and remaining injured could take days due to severe burns.
Among the missing is Charlotte Niddam, a 15-year-old British-educated teenager whose family has moved back to France. A spokesperson for Immanuel College in Bushey, Hertfordshire, said: 'We are all praying for a miracle for Charlotte and the others.' Another missing person is Arthur Brodard, a 16-year-old Swiss national, whose mother has appealed for information on social media.
Hospital workers in Berne have advised those searching for missing individuals to inform authorities of any tattoos or jewellery they may have been wearing. The tragedy has left a collective grief hanging over the resort, as families desperately seek information about their loved ones.
